CVE-2006-1535 in PhxContacts
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in login.php in Phoetux.net PhxContacts 0.93.1 beta and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the m parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1535 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Phoetux.net PhxContacts 0.93.1 beta web application. This issue specifically targets the login.php script where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to the browser. The vulnerability manifests through the m parameter which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response. Such flaws are particularly dangerous because they allow attackers to execute code within the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising user data and system integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is embedded into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw occurs because the application fails to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms for the m parameter. When a user submits data through this parameter, the application directly incorporates it into the HTML response without sanitizing potentially malicious content. This creates an environment where attackers can craft payloads that, when executed, can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the application ecosystem. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to establish persistent access to user accounts, manipulate the application's functionality, or use the compromised session to perform privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 0.93.1 beta, indicating that this was likely a known issue that was not properly addressed in the application's security architecture. Given that this vulnerability existed in a contact management system, the potential for data compromise is significant, as users may have stored sensitive personal or business information within the application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user input through proper validation techniques that reject or escape potentially dangerous characters and patterns. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be loaded, and employ proper output encoding when rendering user-supplied data within HTML contexts. Additionally, the application should implement proper parameter validation for the m parameter specifically, ensuring that only expected input formats are accepted. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify and remediate such flaws before they can be exploited in production environments, aligning with security best practices outlined in frameworks such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework.